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More cities roll out money-saving 'Hotel Week' promos

It's getting easier to find value-packed lodging deals as "Hotel Week" gradually catches on. Modeled after the popular "Restaurant Week" promotion in many cities, "Hotel Week" was initially launched in New

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Foodies across the USA have responded enthusiastically to a week dedicated to restaurant promotions. Now travelers in some destinations are getting a week of their own.

Baltimore's inaugural Hotel Week concludes tomorrow. It comes on the heels of New York's second annual lodging promotion, which ended in January. Another Hotel Week is being planned for the Caribbean in August, traditionally a slow time in the islands.

The Hotel Week concept offers attractive discounts and valuable perks on less busy days to locals and tourists alike.

"February for us is not a peak season, so just like Restaurant Week, the concept is to drive more people to hotels during down periods," says Tom Noonan, CEO of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association.

In 2014, Baltimore is considering combining its second annual Hotel Week — which will cover Valentine's Day and President's Day — along with its existing Restaurant Week, he says. Baltimore may also add a second Hotel Week during a slower period over the summer.

One example of the deals on offer: The Holiday Inn Baltimore-Inner Harbor offered a one-night package package for $101 or a two-night package for $202 that included breakfast for two, a welcome amenity and a split of locally produced wine. A quick glance at the Holiday Inn hotel's website shows the cheapest rate for last Friday night (Feb. 15) was a pre-paid rate of $133.

Visitors who booked a two-night stay received another bonus: Two adult tickets to top attractions such as the National Aquarium or the Maryland Science Center, a savings of as much as about $60.

This summer, beach destination Ocean City, Md., will hold its third annual hotel week promotion. For this destination, the goal is filling rooms during the traditionally quiet final days of August, a period when families traditionally leave the shore to get ready for the school year.

Beach lovers can expect to find free-night stay offers, discounts for booking multiple nights and other types of offers.

"It's a great idea that has endless potential," says hotel publicist Nancy Friedman. Her firm, Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations, organized New York's inaugural Hotel Week last year primarily with client hotels based on the well-known Restaurant Week model.

New York's first-ever Hotel Week promoted deals from eight hotels that started at $100 a night, a hard-to-find rate in a city where the average room costs about $300.

Last month (Jan. 4-20), New York's Hotel Week grew to 26 participating hotels that offered rates of $100, $200 and $250 a night for rooms that would normally cost upwards of $500 a night. Half of the hotels offered $100 rates.

At the highest end ($250 a night), Hotel Week customers could have booked the new, modern Hyatt 48 Lex in Midtown Manhattan within walking distance to Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center. The cheapest room available for Monday night (Feb. 18) is $299.

The most popular hotel during this year's promotion, Friedman says, was the trendy Maritime Hotel, which booked 225 rooms at Hotel Week prices.

She expects even more hotels will participate in 2014 Hotel Week because it provides hotels extra business after the Christmas holidays, a time when people are more reluctant to spend money on indulgences. She's also taking the concept to other markets.

"We are planning to expand it," she says. "Our next focus will be Hotel Week Caribe taking place in August throughout the Caribbean."

So what makes a successful Hotel Week?

"The most important motivator is irresistible rates," she says. "We make it too good to stay home."